Shadow vs Shadow
by Theos the Hedgehog
Summary: A routine GUN mission leaves Shadow facing his toughest test yet. Will he survive to tell Rouge how he really feels? Some Shadouge. Rated T for language. COMPLETE, PLEASE R
1. Prologue

**Howdy and welcome to my first fanfic. Quick disclaimer: I don't own Sonic, Shadow or any other characters in this fic, they all belong to SEGA. Lucky so-and-so's!!**

**Hope you enjoy**

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**Episode 1: Prologue**

At first, there was silence. A vacuum in tine and space. Then a whirring noise as the engine and computer systems started to work. The whirring gor faster and higher, until it turned into a near inaudible hum. While the highly advanced computers began their system checks, the voice began talking.

"CPU Loading...CPU loaded...begin sensory checks..."

"Ah, now that you are finally online, I can marvel in my own handiwork. You really are the greatest of my inventions. That bastard hedghehog and his cronies have no chance this time. Mwahahahahaha!

"Sensory unites fully enabled...Unit is fully activated"

"Righto. Down to business then. Your mission is to seek and destroy target X2701. Understand?"

A deep metallic voice rang out across the workshop, echoing of the walls.

"Target search: X2701. Seek and destroy...Shadow the Hedgehog!"

A wide grin broke the face of the units creator.

"Excellent..."

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I know. Its very short, and doesn't explain much. Don't worry though. It'll get much better! R&R, please no flames. Ciao! -Theos


	2. Recon

Chapter 2: Recon

The full moon lit up the abandoned warehouse like a spotlight. A few dark clouds in the midnight sky caused shadows to drift across the aged concrete structure, its darkened windows looking like portals to the abyss.

"Sure looks deserted"

"…Hmm…"

Rouge the Bat, intenational jewel thief, member of Team Dark and currently GUN agent RGE01 took the binoculars down from her eyes and glanced towards her partner. Half hidden by a passing cloud was a familiar ebony hedgehog with red streaks. His ruby eyes, focused on the warehouse at the bottom of the hill, seemed to illuminate the darkness.

He turned from the warehouse to Rouge, whose sapphire eyes twinkled in the moonlight. Shadow's heart skipped a beat. If they weren't on a GUN mission, this would have been rather romantic. Instead, they were investigating the actions of a certain egg-shaped villain. The communication they had received was still fresh in Shadow's mind.

"_Agents RGE01 and SDW01, we have received intel regarding this warehouse." The GUN commander pointed to a large concrete building up on the projector. "Apparently, Eggman has been using this building as a storage depot for his robotic army. We need this confirmed asap" Shadow raised one eyebrow._

"_And what are we supposed to do if the intel is correct?" he asked, already half knowing what the answer would be. He said the words in his mind as they came out of the commander's mouth._

"_You destroy it, leaving no trace of it or yourselves" The same as always. Shadow let out a quiet sigh, which went undetected by the commander, but not by his 'partner in crime', Rouge. The bat, sat next to Shadow watching the same presentation, glanced over, just in time to see Shadow roll his eyes behind the commander's back. A small grin of amusement crept across her face. Shadow noticed, his own glance causing Rouge to turn back to the projector with a slight hint of pink on her snow-white cheeks._

That small blush made Shadow mentally smile, although he kept his 'cool-as-ice' demeanour on his face. He and Rouge had been working together for GUN for a couple of years now, and the black anti-hero found himself becoming increasingly attracted to his partner. She was an excellent sparring partner, absolutely lethal as a GUN agent, and had stunning looks to top it all off. Shadow realised that his body temperature was beginning to rise slightly, and struggled to prevent himself blushing at the thought of Rouge's beauty.

Her voice snapped him out of his daydream. Turning to her, he shook his head.

"Sorry. What was that? I was miles away."

"I noticed" smirked Rouge. "I said are you ready to go check this bad boy out?"

Shadow looked down at the warehouse one more time, before nodding, a small grin appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"Let's do this."

Silently, the two agents crept down the hill to the warehouse. Rouge, now wearing a black balaclava to hid her white face, stayed close to Shadow, whose black fur acted as night camo anyway.

As they approached the warehouse, Shadow noticed two things. One, there was absolute silence. Two, there were no security droids. If this really was a store for Eggamn, ther should have been some form of protection.

"I don't like the look of this", he grumbled to himself as they reached the main door to the warehouse, still without meeting another sould, flesh or machine.

**Hmm, very strange, me thinks. Eggman leaving a warehouse, supposedly full of ammunitions and fuel for his weapons, without any sort of protection? Sounds ominous doesn't it? Tune in next time to see what happens. -Theos**


	3. Infiltration

**Howdy folks. Thanks to everyone who sent those positive comments. Sorry about the delay between chapters, but I'm sure you know how it is. I'm going to try and get chapters up as quickly as possible but with work and studying, time is a precious commodity (I think someone famous said that...oh well, never mind!!) Now, on with the show...**

Chapter 3: Infiltration

"I don't like the look of this" grumbled Shadow, as he looked around the deserted warehouse. As it turned out, that was exactly what the warehouse was; deserted. There were no Egg-Pawns. No security cameras. No booby traps. It was as if Eggman had never had anything to do with the place.

Rouge turned to her partner, a cocky grin on her ruby lips.

"You never like a mission unless you get to shoot something" she grinned. Shadow looked at her, his trademark frown lifted slightly by Rouge's humour.

"But that's the best part!" he mockingly whined, pretending to go off in a huff. Rouge stifled a giggle.

"I don't know. What is it about men and guns?" she said, shaking her head. Shadow just shrugged, and continued looking around the first room of the warehouse.

The large open space was completely bare, with no signs of having stored anything of remote interest to Dr. Eggman. The beams of moonlight cascading through the windows illuminated a thin layer of dirt and dust on the floor, showing that the place had not been used for a long time. Passing through the first area, the two agents came to a large metal door at the far end. Shadow gave the door a swift kick, causing it to swing round. The rusted hinges screamed in protest before the door struck the adjoining wall. Shadow turned to Rouge.

"Ladies first" Rouge rolled her eyes, while a small grin crept onto her face.

"Always the gentlemen" she said, Shadow just picking up the hint of sarcasm. Rouge entered the second room, 9mm pistol ready in her right hand. Shadow followed, his personal Desert Eagle ready in a two handed grip.

The second area of the warehouse was completely windowless, blocking all light except the few moonbeams that streamed in from the now open door. Rouge looked around, turning on her flashlight as she did.

"Let's spilt up and have a look around". Shadow grunted his acknowledgement, and then took off to the left of the room, while Rouge continued to the right.

Shadow's flashlight illuminated piles of crates, all covered in a film of dust. Further down the room he found several steel drums, the faint odour of oil lingering around them. Putting his gun back in its holster, Shadow stepped up to a crate that looked much older and rotten than its other wooden counterparts. Giving a broken plank a sharp tug, Shadow opened the crate. Magazines of bullets tumbled to the ground, the clattering seeming so much louder due to the overall silence of the building.

Shining his torch to another crate, Shadow saw something that his blood freeze. Stamped on the side of the crate was Eggman's logo.

"Oh my god…" Shadow's eyes widened like saucers. All this, thousands of pounds of ammunition, had been hiding here for years. How long would it have been before Eggman had collected it? Shadow shuddered at the thought. If his calculations were correct, there was enough ammunition here for thousands of droids, possibly even tens of thousands. It would have been…

"…an invasion" Shadow spun round, the barrel of the Desert Eagle swinging up into a familiar white face.

"JESUS FING CHRIST!" yelled Shadow as he lowered the gun, beginning to hyperventilate. Taking a deep breath, he glared at Rouge. "I nearly blew your head off!" A devious glint shone in Rouge's sapphire eyes, as a cheeky grin appeared on her face.

"Thought that was my job" she smirked before walking towards the stack of oil drums. The innuendo was not lost on Shadow, who struggled to keep the blush that was threatening to turn his face into a tomato.

"Damn her flirting…" he grumbled to himself, all the while trying to suppress the urge to express his ever-growing feelings for the bat.

_Damn her hot, sexy flirting…_

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**Oh dear, Shadow's got it bad . Like I said, thanks for the positive comments so far. I'm beginning to get into my stride with this one, and you should start to see some action in the next chapter, which I have cunningly named (fake Arnie voice) 'Rise of the Machine'. Please read and review and let me know what you think. Cheers y'all. -Theos**


	4. Rise of the Machine

**Woo Hoo! Welcome back ladies and gentlefolk. Eh? Excuse me a second, someone is shouting me...**_Crash in the background_ **_Mwahahahahaha! Now I, Pyro the Hedgehog have control of this fic. HAHAHAHA..coughcough...Where am I ? Who are you? Oh, readers! Yes, it all comes back to me now. Shadow and Rouge on a little mission from GUN. HAHAHA! Using my fiery powers of natural combustion (aka the ability to fry the tail of anyone who stands in my way!!) I present...CHAPTER 4!_**

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Chapter 4: Rise of the Machine

Continuing through the warehouse, Rouge and Shadow lost count of how many ammunition crates and fuel drums they walked past. Rouge, leading the way, looked back at the ebony hedgehog.

"Looks like Intel was right on this one" Shadow merely grunted, his mind elsewhere. So it happened, his eyes kept drifting off elsewhere as well.

'_Damn, she's got a fine ass…NO…concentrate on the mission, Shadow…but just look at her…the way she shakes those hips…DAMN IT…pay goddam attention…' _His train of thought completely derailed when he walked straight into a stationary Rouge. "Oof…sorry Rouge, I was miles away" Rouge frowned.

"Never mind that. Do you hear something?" Her ears were twitching, trying to pick up on the faint sound she had heard. Shadow's ears, only as sensitive as Rouge's because of his Ultimate Lifeform DNA, also twitched.

"I don't hear anything" he admitted, folding his arms in slight annoyance.

"But I thought I heard something moving, something…alive" A look of worry spread across the bat's features, while scorn spread across the hedgehog's face.

"Come off it Rouge. This place has been deserted for years, how could anything…"

Both agents span round, guns drawn, when they heard the faint whirring noise behind them. It sounded like a small computer loading up, the whirring getting faster, the pitch getting higher, until it turned almost into a hum. Rouge took a couple of steps back, her gun still focused on the pitch black recess from which the noise had originated. Shadow, however, stood his ground, the frown lines in his brow deepening.

"Who's there?" he shouted. "We're with GUN. Come out with your arms in the air". He turned on the laser sight on the Desert Eagle, a function he'd personally had installed thanks to the efforts of a certain two-tailed fox. As if in response to the intruding red beam, two red dots appeared in the darkness, seemingly hovering at least six feet off the ground.

Suddenly, another whirring noise started up, this one much lower than the first. Instead of a computer, this one sounded like high-tech machinery warming up. Almost like…

"ROUGE! MOVE!" yelled Shadow as he dived at the bat, knocking her to the ground. A spilt second later, the crate above them was riddled with hundreds of tracer bullets, fired from a modified 7.62mm M134 Minigun. The 6,000 rounds per minute shredded the worn wooden crate into splinters, obliterating the ammunition inside as well.

Removing their hands from their heads, Rouge and Shadow stared up at where the bullets had come from. Out of the darkness, the red dots moved forward, almost gliding forward. Shadow shakily picked his torch up and shone it at the lights. They turned out to be eyes, the eyes of a six-foot android. Its body was as black as oil, and its feet seemed to end in a similar propulsion unit to Shadow's hover-shoes. Its head, however, drew a gasp from Rouge and a menacing growl from Shadow.

"S-Shadow" whispered Rouge. "It's…you". Shadow could see she wasn't far wrong. The head of the android looked just like him. The same frown, the same upturned spines, the same crimson stripes along said spines. Even the bright red eyes reminded Shadow of his reflection. However, the robotic face only seemed to be able to show anger. Shadow was seething. How dare Eggman create a robotic version of HIM? The blue faker? Sure. The dumb echidna? Fine. Hell, he'd even accept a robotic Rouge (although he'd find it difficult to rip any likeness of hers limb from limb). But HIM? The Ultimate Lifeform?

Shadow pulled himself to his feet. His anger and started the Chaos energy flowing through his veins. Now he felt like tearing something apart. This pathetic _copy_ would be a perfect target.

Until it started to speak…

"I am Mecha Shadow, version 3.12. Cybernetic Assassin unit, dedicated to evolution of the Eggman Empire" Its low metallic, monotone voice seemed to echo around the warehouse. "Primary objective: Destroy Shadow the Hedgehog. Secondary objective: Leave no witnesses." With that, Mecha Shadow raised its right arm. The hand folded back on itself, revealing the hidden minigun. Shadow grimaced as the 6 barrels started spinning, the mechanics warming up before…

BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM

**Pyro: _HAHAHAHA! Shadow and Rouge are finished! The end! Pyromaniacs rule!!_**

**Theos: CHAOS...TORRENT!**

**Pyro: _AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! RUNAWAYRUNAWAYRUNAWAY!_ **He does just that

**Theos: My sincerest apologies for that, but the flaming twerp has had it coming for a while now. And in case you're wondering, no its not the end of the story. If it was, I'd be very disappointed in myself. And I'm not. **Cheesy Grin!** Tune in next time to see if our heroes can escape being turned into swiss cheese. Gotta go sort a flaming hedgehog. Ciao. Now where did I put that extinguisher... - Theos _(and Pyro)_**


	5. A Painful Realisation

**Howdy Ho Peeps. Yes, it's Theos here. I've shut and locked the doors and windows to prevent that psychotic Pyro from taking over the fic again!! Honestly, he's have everyone burst into flames! Anyway, hope you're enjoying the story so far. And without any further ado, we proudly present Chapter 5...**

Chapter 5: A Painful Realisation

Rouge's eyelids fluttered before they fully opened, revealing a white light which made her instantly closed her eyes again. After a couple of seconds, the sapphire eyes opened again. This time, the bright light seemed to be fading. A dull ache at the back of her head suddenly provided an explanation.

"Ow, I must have banged my head bloody hard" she muttered as she lifted a hand to her aching head. As soon as she felt the bump beneath her hair, a floodgate opened and memories flew back to the front of her mind.

_Shadow..._

_Mecha Shadow..._

_Minigun..._

Rouge jumped, as the truth sank in. She hadn't been hit by Mecha's minigun blast. How did she avoid it? And how did she bang her head? A familiar voice shocked her out of her daydream.

"It's a damn good job I don't need an emerald for Chaos Control". Rouge's head snapped up at a familiar black hedgehog. Shadow looked none the worse for wear, even smirking as Rouge slowly climbed to her feet.

"What happened? Where's Mecha?" Shadow's smirk was replaced by 'the frown' and a finger jumped to his lips, indicating Rouge to be quiet. Doing so, she heard a mechanical whirring somewhere within the warehouse.

"When that walking trashcan warmed up his cannon again, I used Chaos Control to get us both out of the way." Whispered Shadow, who was now peering round a stack of crates looking for their new enemy. "However, doing it in such a hurry ended up with us landing on the ground from a bit of a height." Shadow's arm nervously rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry about that"

Rouge said nothing, instead peering round the opposite side of the crates, looking down another wooden-flanked corridor. Nothing. No gunshots, no blazing LED eyes, no mechanical beast stalking towards them. A hand grabbed her wrist, nearly making her scream. Another clamped on her mouth, a familiar white glove preventing such a scream. Shadow span her round to face him.

"He's coming this way. Run and hide" Shadow turned away from her, fists clenched. Rouge grabbed his arm.

"You can't be serious. He'll tear you apart." Rouge felt like she was nearly begging him. "Let me fight with you."

"No" said Shadow flatly. "It's me he wants. I couldn't let him harm you..." Rouge waited with baited breath for the end of the sentence. "...you're my best friend". Rouge looked into the ruby eyes of her partner and saw conviction in what he was saying, but also annoyance, as if he wanted to say something else...

Rouge blinked, then started to back away, holding a small pistol that she kept for when her main firearm was empty or, as in this case, missing. Before she disappeared round a stack of oil drums, she looked back at Shadow. Catching his attention, she silently mouthed two words.

"Be careful"

And with that, Rouge disappeared into the inky darkness of the warehouse, leaving the Ultimate Lifeform alone to face his ultimate challenge. Shadow removed his black jacket, cracked his knuckles and loosed up his shoulders...

...just as Mecha Shadow stepped round the corner. Standing at nearly twice the height of Shadow, Mecha seemed unstoppable. Shadow just smirked.

"So Eggman sent you to do his dirty work hmm" he chuckled, showing no fear to the robotic doppelganger. "You don't know who you're messing with. I'm Shadow the Hedgehog, anti-hero of Mobius and the Ultimate MotherFing Lifeform, biatch" Shadow raised his fists into a boxing stance. "Come on, tin can. Show me what you..."

He was cut off as a huge metal fist connected with his head, sending him flying sideways. Crashing through two crates and bouncing off a third, Shadow came to rest face down on the ground, with the robotic assassin approaching him. Spitting blood, Shadow pushed himself to one knee. His eyes seemed to blaze with fury as a very painful realisation hit him. This was going to be a fight like nothing he'd ever faced before. It scared the shit out of him. And yet, he couldn't keep the grin from spreading across his face.

The black and red hedgehog stood, extended an arm towards his metallic opponent and motioned with his hand.

"Just bring it"

**Oh yeah, the Ultimate Lifeform is warmed up and spoiling for a fight! A fight i sexactly what we'll see in the next chapter.**

**Off stage _A fight? Fin' A Dude!!_**

**You know the score folks. Read and Review. See y'all next time. -Theos _(& Pyro)_**


	6. Shadow vs Shadow

**Hey-Hey! Ok, so after a bit of a bust up over the last couple of episodes, my good friend Pyro (_Hello) _have decided to present the remainder of the fic as a team. Ain't that right?**

_**...yeah. If you say so...**_

**Ok. So hope you enjoying it so far. We promised you action in this chaper and guess what?**

_**We give you not action, but ACTION!! Role VT...**_

Chapter 6: Shadow vs. Shadow

The night was still. A few leaves rustled in the breeze as the moon shone brightly, unhindered by the few small clouds floating in the night sky. The abandoned warehouse stood stock still, like a gigantic stone sentry in the forest clearing. All was calm...

...until the sound of gunfire and splintered wood filled the clearing.

Inside the warehouse, the atmosphere was anything but calm. Having survived being punched through two crates by Mecha's right fist, Shadow was now ducking and dodging the robot's rapid fire minigun as its bullets tore the surroundings apart. Splinters of wood covered the floor where crates had previously stood, the ammunition that was once contained within the boxes spilling out like the entrails of a gutted fish.

The thing was, Shadow was enjoying this. It was so difficult to find an opponent who could actually compete with Shadow's strength and speed, certain blue hedgehogs not included, so naturally he saw Mecha as the perfect challenger. The evil-looking smirk never left Shadows face as he dived behind another crate, his own guns blazing as he did so. However, the bullets of the twin Desert Eagles simply rebounded of the robot's titanium-alloy armour, leaving nothing more than pin-head sized scratches. Shadow ditched the spent firearms, and swiftly changed tactics.

"Chaos Control!"

Suddenly appearing behind the shooting robot, Shadow swung his right arm back, as if looking to land a punch. Only it wasn't a punch. Bright yellow sparks gathered in his clenched fist. The grin widened.

"CHAOS...SPEAR" The Chaos energy flew from the now outstretched hand, screaming like a firework, before crashing into the robots back. The force sent Mecha Shadow flying forward, itself ending up crushing a couple of rotting crates. Shadow simply drew his arm back once more.

"Encore, encore" he mocked. "CHAOS SPEAR!" Another blast of energy flew forward. However, Mecha managed to roll to the left, causing the Spear to crash into the ground, leaving scorch marks and a small impact crater.

Shadow silently cursed before extending both hands, palm up. Instead of yellow, the sparks collecting in the palms were near white, and what could only be described as a cocky grin spread across the hedgehog's face.

"You think you've got rapid fire, you ain't seen nothing yet, bolts-for-brains" he said, before pushing his hands forward. "CHAOS BARRAGE" Hundreds of energy beams, as fast as the bullets from Mecha's minigun shot forth, nearly all of them connecting with the metal armour. The sheer force of the attack pushed Mecha backwards, its metal feet scraping along the ground as friction fought a losing battle with Chaos energy. A cloud of dust began to form around the battered robot, as Shadow continued the onslaught.

The barrage suddenly stopped, a heavily breathing Shadow glaring at a cloud of dust, dust so thick that the ruby eyes couldn't penetrate it. However, a blind man would have been able to see what happened next. Shadow took a step back, the once cocky look replaced with sheer disbelief and fear.

"No...it...it can't be..." the ebony hedgehog stuttered, as a soul-destroying sound reached his ears. Laughter.

"Hmm-hmm-hmm, hahahahaha, HAHAHAHA!" The evil metallic laugh of Mecha Shadow rang out like a bell. As the dust cloud finally parted, Shadow saw his adversary, a little scratched but otherwise entirely unharmed. Mecha slowly started to walk towards the shell-shocked Shadow.

"_You pathetic specimen. Did you really think you could defeat me that easily?_" The robot continued its slow advance. "_I am an improvement on you, Shadow version 2 if you will. There is no possible way for you to defeat me._" The LED eyes glowed a brighter crimson. "_Allow me to show you MY Ultimate Power_" With that, Mecha held out his left hand, palm facing Shadow. A ball of energy quickly formed and flew at Shadow. The Ultimate Lifeform had two seconds to think.

"Oh. Shit"

The ball of energy struck Shadow and exploded, hurling the hedgehog across the warehouse .like a rag doll. Striking the wall, Shadow crumpled to the ground, somewhat resembling a puppet that has just had its strings cut. Mecha's hover boosters kicked in, and the shining metal hedgehog glided over to its fallen predecessor.

Slowly, the form of Shadow began to stir, and then rise to his feet. Puncture wounds peppered his chest, while a three inch gash above his left eye oozed claret blood. Shadow raised his head, to stare his metallic doppelganger in the eyes. Both faces wore a frown, a grimace of pure hatred for one another. Shadow broke the silence.

"I am going to fuck you up" With that, he delivered a spinning heel kick to the chest of Mecha, pushing the robot back slightly. However, any thoughts of Shadow regaining his earlier advantage were quickly quashed as Mecha leapt forward, grabbing Shadow by the throat. The hover boosters kicked in again and Shadow soon found himself ten feet in the air, with no way of escaping the vice-like grip Mecha had around his throat. Mecha turned his head to face Shadow, bringing them nose-to-nose.

"_Eat dirt, flea-bag_". Shadow, one minute hovering ten feet in the air against his own will, now found the ground rushing up to greet him. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for the impact. A resounding blast rocked the warehouse as Shadow's swan dive produced a six foot deep crater in the concrete floor, a seemingly lifeless black hedgehog lying in the centre.

Mecha suddenly appeared from nowhere, his hover boosters giving him similar speed to Shadow and Sonic. The fingers on his left hand fused to form a gleaming blade, while he gripped Shadows quills in his right hand.

"_I promised Dr Eggman I would present your head on a silver platter,_" stated the robot. "_A promise I intend to keep_". And Mecha slowly and deliberately drew the blade across the throat of Shadow the Hedgehog...

**OH MY FUCKING GOD!! He killed Shadow.**

_**You bastard!!**_

**Or did he? Is this really it for our beloved hero? Can he survive the death sentence that Mecha has imposed upon him?**

_**Why are we asking you? We know the answers!!**_

**Too right! Anyway, please read and review, let us know what you think. Care to do the honours?**

**_You're too kind. Ahem... Tune in next time folks...assuming that there is a next time... mwahahahahahaha - Pyro / _Theos**


	7. Intervention

**Howdy folks. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed the story so far. I take it from the comments that a few of you were shocked that Shadow was mere seconds away from losing his head.**

_**I'd just set him alight. Easier than this blade business**_

**Yes Pyro. I'm sure you would. But its not you Shadow is facing, is it?**

_**...No...**_

**Anyway, here's chapter 7, let's see what happens...**

Chapter 7: Intervention

Just as the gleaming blade touched the soft dark skin of the fallen hedgehog...

BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM

Rapid gunfire blasted into the distracted robot, causing him to drop the lifeless Shadow, who crumpled up on the ground with a slight "Oof". Mecha span round, his LED eyes blazing at this unwanted distraction. Looking up out of the crater, he saw the source of his broken concentration, and the reason why his victory had not yet been assured.

Stood at the edge of the crater, twin Uzi submachine guns smoking and sapphire eyes blazing in the little light available, stood one very pissed off bat...

BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM

More bullets ploughed into Mecha, a few coming extremely close to taking out one of the eyes. The furious and determined look on Rouge's face never changed.

"Step away from the hedgehog. NOW" commanded the ivory bat, continuing to empty two Uzi clips into her robotic enemy.

Mecha suddenly started to hover out of the pit, leaving Shadow unconscious within, nothing but a small scratch from the attempted decapitation. The unmoving eyes of the robot flashed as he came level with Rouge.

"_Switch objectives. Primary objective set: Destroy interfering little bitch_" The arm mounted minigun swept up and blasted the edge of the crater.

Rouge had already moved. Her wings carrying her as quickly as possible, she flw above Mecha, raining down gunfire. In response, Mecha aimed his minigun skywards. Narrowly missing the circling bat, the rapid fire blasted thousands of holes in the roof of the warehouse. Dust and flecks of masonry rained down on Mecha, who stood stock still, the minigun continuing to riddle the roof with holes.

It wasn't long before Rouge realised that Mecha was deliberately missing her. Either that or his aim was terrible against flying targets. A smirk spread across her features at the thought of Mecha getting frustrated at her for not staying still. Her small daydream was broken by a familiar metallic voice.

"_Enjoy the afterlife, flying rodent_" Rouge stopped flying in circles, as the minigun stopped chasing her. Looking down, Rouge saw Mecha simply standing there, glaring up at her. What was he up to? A dreadful creaking and groaning above her caused her to look up, then her eyes widened with disbelief and fear. The roof, now riddled with thousands of holes, looked like a sponge. But it had also been weakened. A huge chunk of the roof suddenly let go of the surrounding structure and hurtled towards the ground, with Rouge in its path!

Had she been anything other than a bat with a history of quick escapes from jewel heists, Rouge would have been crushed.

As it was, her reflexes caused her to flap out of the way, her left wing just being clipped by the edge of the falling masonry. That clip was enough for Mecha, who would have been smiling with evil intent if he had the ability to do so. Rouge found herself heading directly into a pile of crates, unable to stop or slow down due to her damaged wing. With a scream, she ploughed into the wood, sending ammunition and splintered wood.

Opening her eyes, Rouge was shocked to find she hadn't broken anything. Slowly pushing herself up, a sudden pressure on her back forced her back to the ground. She turned over, to find the hulking form of Mecha Shadow looming over her.

"_Foolish rodent_" the grating voice seemed to ring through Rouge's very soul. "_I shall enjoy slowly destroying you before finishing that worthless hedgehog_" A metal fist grabbed Rouge around the throat and lifted her up off the ground. Mecha then tossed her to one side, slamming her fragile body into more crates. A cry of agony escaped from Rouge's lips as broken wood bit through her catsuit and into her delicate skin.

"SHADOW!"

**Thank god for Rouge, eh? If Shadow wasn't madly in love with her before he will be after he finds out she saved his life. That's if Rouge survives the beating that Mecha is dishing out. Sorry its a short one (compared to others anyway). The next one should be a bit longer. As usual, please continue reading and reviewing. Anything you want to add, Pyro?**

_**Yeah. Personal thanks to the following for reviews:**_

_**silverblaze31, bluesonic115, a harmless pig, and thanks as well to anyone and everyone who's read it along the way. As this bozo next to me would say 'Cheers Y'all'!**_

**You dare make a mockery of me!! BLACK LIGHTNING!!**

_**PYRO TWISTER!**_

**_- _Theos & _Pyro_**


	8. A Broken Soul, A Second Chance

**Whats happenin' y'all? Sorry bout the long delay in uploading, been busy with University work. Gotta meet those deadlines! Yo Pyro! We ready to get this show back on the road?**

_**Go for it. It's not like I got anything better to be doing right now**_

**Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence!! Ok folks, here's the next chapter in Shadow vs Shadow!!**

Chapter 8: A Broken Spirit, A Second Chance

"Shadow"

The voice echoed through Shadow's mind, causing him to slowly open one eye, glancing about for the source of the voice. Sleepily he looked about himself. Nothing seemed out of order. The blue sky. The green grass. Maria. Smiling contently, Shadow's eye closed again, drifting back to sleep.

A heartbeat passed.

_Maria!_

Ruby eyes shot open, staring at the apparition before him. The blue dress, the blonde hair, the big blue eyes. It was Maria! His Maria!

"How…who…what…" Shadow's tongue seemed to stick to the roof of his mouth, unable to form a coherent sentence. Maria giggled; it was a laugh that Shadow had all but forgotten from over half a century before.

"You're still the same silly old Shadow". The smile on Maria's face seemed to illuminate everything. It was only then that Shadow realised something. Something about his whereabouts.

He wasn't in the warehouse. He was outside.

The sun was shining in a bright blue sky, a few fluffy clouds dotted here and there. They were in a field of lush green grass, which extended as far as the eye could see. Standing up, Shadow looked around. There were other Mobians sat in the field. Some were eating picnics, others were playing various games. Children ran back and forth, watched by loving relatives.

This is peace, thought Shadow. This is what the world should be like, what it could be like…

Maria snapped him back to reality with a prod to the side.

"Wakey wakey!" she giggled. "Where did you go off to? You looked completely glazed over". Shadow shook his head, clearing the cobwebs, before turning to Maria.

"So where are we?" he asked, a quizzical look on his face. Maria just beamed at him.

"Shadow" she began, waving her arm out to indicate the field and its other occupants. "Welcome to the Elysium Fields" Shadow still looked puzzled, but his mind was working overtime.

Elysium Fields? The name screamed through Shadow's mind, trying to ignite some sort of memory. He knew the name from somewhere. Then it hit him…

_flashback_

"_Grandfather"_

_Dr. Gerald Robotnik smiled as he turned from the blackboard to Maria. His grand-daughter was sat at her desk, books scattered across the wooden surface. Sat next to her was Shadow, who had chosen to accompany her for her weekly tutorials with Gerald. Hearing her call out for the twelfth time in an hour did nothing but make Gerald smile. She really did have the Robotnik gene for learning!!_

"_Yes Maria?" Maria, who had stopped reading her Quantum Astrophysics textbook, cocked her head to one side._

"_If humans go to heaven or hell when they die, where do Mobians go?" Maria shot a quizzical glance at Shadow, who looked back at her and shrugged, not knowing the answer himself. Gerald twisted his moustache, pondering the answer._

"_You know, Maria, that's a very good question. I have a very limited amount of research into Mobian beliefs, but somewhere I have...where is that file?" Digging through a mountain of folders and files, Gerald extracted a red folder, opened it and scanned a few pages._

"_Aah, here we are. According to both modern and historical research, Mobian religious beliefs are based on those of ancient human societies, in particular those of Ancient Greece. They believe that when a Mobian dies, their soul goes down to the underworld, where they will be judged based on their actions while they were alive"_

"_If they are deemed to have lived a good, honest life, they are allowed into the Elysium Fields, a world of endless peace and joy, where a Mobian can do what they want, for the rest of the afterlife. However, if they have lived an evil life, they are condemned to Tartarus, a barren fiery land filled with pain and suffering. Those who have caused others suffering while alive shall receive eternal punishment in the afterlife"_

_All Maria could say, her eyes nearly popping out of her head, was "wow!!"_

_end of flashback_

Shadow shook his head and looked at Maria.

"But how the hell can I have been allowed here? I'm a cold-blooded merciless killer. I hurt numerous Mobians and humans since being re-woken from the escape capsule and..." He was cut off by Maria's finger on his lips.

"There's no need to worry now. You're here because you've lived an ultimately good life. Despite your confusion during the Black Arms invasion, since then and before then, you've been a good Mobian, even if you were created artificially by Grandfather" The mention of Gerald Robotnik, along with his flashback, raised another question in Shadow's mind.

"But...I thought the professor created my as the Ultimate Lifeform...the immortal Ultimate Lifeform...unable to die from old age." Maria's head bowed. Shadow's eye's widened as the truth hit home.

"I'm not immortal against battle damage, am I?" Maria looked at Shadow with tear-filled eyes, and shook her head slowly. Shadow plopped himself back on the ground, wrapping his arms around his knees. "But I was never meant to be a warrior...I was meant to save people...to save you..." Maria sat down next to him.

"There is more though" Shadow looked at her, the pain evident in his eyes. Maria smiled. "You've been granted a second chance." Shadow was confused.

"What do you mean, a second chance?" Maria looked down at the ground.

"There are two powerful hedgehogs that rule the Mobian Underworld. One over the Elysium Fields, the other over Tartarus. Both have agreed that you are not meant for this world yet. Therefore, they are sending you back to the real world." Shadow's eyes widened at the information he had just received. Maria looked him in the eye and continued.

"I know that fate separated me from my best friend on the ARK. Fate has decided that, if you are to be separated from Rouge, it is not to be now." The adult tone disappeared from Maria's voice as a smile spread across her face. "You really like her, huh?" Shadow blushed slightly and nodded. Maria's smile grew.

"Then go back, save her from that deranged mechanical monster. Do for her what I never allowed you to do for me. Fight for her." Shadow nodded, a small tear running down his cheek. The two friends embraced, and stood up.

Suddenly, Shadow felt an unbelievable amount of power coursing through his veins. He felt his fur beginning to glow a familiar golden colour.

"That's your life force returning to you." explained Maria. "The saying is true. What doesn't kill us certainly makes us stronger. Now go and save Rouge." Shadow looked at her, his best friend from fifty years ago, and smiled.

"Thank you Maria. I'll never forget you" Maria mockingly put both hands on her hips.

"Be sure you don't!" she giggled. Shadow chuckled, and then looked to the sky, determination in his eyes.

"I'm coming back, Mecha. You're gonna regret the day you messed with the Ultimate Lifeform!" With that, the glow around Shadow grew in intensity. With a blinding flash, Shadow disappeared from the Elysium Fields, leaving a happy Maria behind, tears in both eyes from finally seeing her best friend again.

XxXxX

While this had been going on in the Mobian underworld, Rouge had had her hands full fighting a demonic robot. Having spent all of her ammunition to no avail, she had resorted to swift kicks before ducking behind crates and barrels to avoid the seemingly endless rain of minigun bullets. Now, tired, bruised and in agony from a stray bullet to the right shoulder, Rouge found herself literally in the grasp of Mecha Shadow.

The cold metal claws squeezed ever tighter around the bat's throat, slowly cutting off the oxygen that her body so desperately screamed out for. A maniacal laugh erupted from the mechanized voice box.

"Hahahaha. You're pathetic, rodent. Without Shadow, you're nothing." Rouge struggled against the burning pain in her shoulder and the dizziness that was threatening to overwhelm her, and looked Mecha Shadow in the eye.

"When he…wakes up…you'll…be sorry." The same maniacal laugh, this time louder, boomed around her in response.

"When? I doubt that. My sensors indicate he's already gone. You're all alone. Don't worry though" The demonic glow in the LED eyes seemed to intensify. "You'll be joining him soon." With that, the steel grip around Rouge's throat began to tighten again. As she struggled for air, Rouge was sure she could feel her windpipe slowly being crushed.

XxXxX

With a deep gasp, the limp body sought life, took a hold of it with both hands and hauled its soul out of the murky depths of the underworld. With a primordial roar, and a blinding flash of yellow light, the Ultimate Lifeform announced his return.

XxXxX

The bright light and explosion behind him made Mecha Shadow drop Rouge, just before she lost consciousness. Rouge, gasping for breath, glanced up at the source of the bright light. It was a sight that warmed her heart, whilst chilling the circuits of Mecha to virtual breakdown.

Stepping out of the large crater was a golden form, its fur and quills glowing in Super form. The aura was a bright golden colour, as if the figure had absorbed the Master Emerald itself. Standing before Mecha and Rouge, bloodied, bruised and with a scowl that would have sent the Devil himself running for cover, was Shadow the Hedgehog. The Ultimate Lifeform was back from the dead, and he was pissed as hell.

**OH HELL YEAH! The Ultimate Lifeform Cometh! Shadow is pissed as hell!**

_**I don't know about you, but if I were Mecha, I'd be extremely worried right now.**_

**Abso-bloody-lutely! Anyway, hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Working on the next chapter as we speak, so will try to get it uploaded asap. As usual, please read and review. See ya next time - Theos & _Pyro_**


	9. Behold, The Ultimate Power!

Howdy folks, Theos and Pyro back once again with the next installment of Shadow vs Shadow. Sorry once again about the slow updates, but thank you to everyone who's posted reviews. Seems the last chapter went down a storm.

_I should think so. Shadow's back from the dead, ready to haul some metal ass!!_

You said it, pal. OK then, on with the show!!

Chapter 9: Behold, The Ultimate Power!

Had Mecha been a real Mobian, his jaw would have dropped and his eyes would have popped out of their sockets. To stand before Super Shadow, enveloped in the famous yellow aura, was breathtaking. But to do so, knowing that Super Shadow has you as his target would be the most frightening thing in the world. Even for a robot.

"You…you…you died!" shouted Mecha, shakily pointing his metal finger at Shadow, the disbelief and underlying fear quite clear in the robotic voice. "No-one comes back. NO-ONE!" In answer, Super Shadow disappeared….

…and reappeared with his shoulder embedded in Mecha Shadow's gut. The force of the super charged shoulder barge sent the robot clone hurtling through the air, smashing through crates and barrels, eventually crashing to the ground in a tangled heap. Before Mecha could pick himself up, he found himself being thrown up, towards the roof, courtesy of Shadow. The ceiling rushed down to meet him, only to be replaced at the last second by a red and white hover-shoe, which crashed into the side of Mecha's skull.

Using Chaos Control to its maximum potential, Super Shadow kicked, punched and threw his clone back and forth across the warehouse. Crates of ammunition disintegrated, barrels of oil were upturned, but Mecha never once hit the floor. It was like Shadow was playing keepy-uppy with the robot, only battering him into non-existence in the process.

Rouge, who had managed to roughly bandage her wounds, could only sit and stare at the golden hedgehog flashing in the air above her. His movements were far too quick to follow, but the sound of metal being dented and crushed told her that Mecha was on the back foot. Her keen hearing picked something up, and she quickly rolled to her left, a split second before the floor where she had been erupted, as Mecha was thrown headfirst into the concrete. A second after that, a golden flash from the new crater told Rouge Shadow had followed his adversary. Mecha was tossed out of the hole, into the air. Everything seemed to slow down for a moment, Mecha hanging in mid-air. Then…

"CHAOS SPEAR!"

The super charged energy blast screamed out of the hole, slamming into Mecha with all the power of a cruise missile. Mecha was thrown skywards, through the roof, before arching in the sky and crashing back through, landing 10 feet away from the crater. Shadow climbed out, the furious expression never once leaving his face. Rouge had never seen Shadow this angry before, and it scared her. It scared her that this power lay deep inside her friend, waiting for a chance to be released.

Shadow walked over to the fallen robot. Dents and cracks now covered the once shining metal surface. The black paint was rubbed and chipped from the relentless attack. Mecha didn't move. Shadow sensed that something was amiss, but couldn't figure what. Just as he got within three feet of Mecha, the tingling feeling at the back of Shadow's head screamed out.

Mecha jumped up, shoulder barging Shadow. The ebony hedgehog, having the wind knocked out of him, found metal arms locked around his waist. Unable to struggle free, he was smashed through piles of crates, each crashing into his back as Mecha strove to disable his opponent. Glancing behind him, Shadow's eyes widened. Mecha was heading straight for the closed metal fire door between the main warehouse and the smaller storage room. If he slammed into that, Shadow would be snapped in half.

"I've always wanted to know if hedgehogs make good wrecking balls!" chuckled Mecha manically, his grip on Shadow tightening. Feeling the air been squeezed out of him, Shadow stopped struggling and placed his palm against Mecha's head.

"Eat…dirt…you…metal…bd!" The palm glowed, and before Mecha could react...

"CHAOS SPEAR!"

…his head snapped backwards. The vice grip on Shadow loosened, and the black hedgehog kicked in his hover-sneakers, slowing himself inches from the fire-door. Mecha, who had crash landed on the ground, began to pick himself up.

"Yo, tin-can!" Mecha looked skywards at the golden hedgehog. "Catch!" Two palms raised up, aimed at Mecha. "CHAOS BARRAGE!"

Hundreds of energy blasts crashed into the metallic body, literally shearing the armoured plating away from the electronics inside. The whole warehouse lit up as the blasts piled up, enveloping Mecha in a white dome. Shadow ceased the attack, and waited for the smoke and lights to fade. When they did, he couldn't help but smirk.

Mecha's titanium-alloy exoskeleton was smashed to pieces. His chest plate had been obliterated; the armour on his arms and legs was cracked and charred. In fact, miraculously, the only part of the robot that was relatively undamaged was the head. Mecha seemed to stare up at Shadow, as if daring him to make his next move.

"This ends now, Mecha" roared Shadow. The golden aura burst into life, growing in intensity second by second. Rouge, who had watched everything from a safe distance, climbed into the large crater from which Super Shadow had emerged earlier. Something told her it would be safer than hiding behind any of the remaining crates.

Shadow silently unhooked his two golden power rings from his wrists, dropping them to the ground as he floated in the air. With a roar of fury, the Chaos energy inside him began to surge forth, free of the rings restraints. The golden aura turned a deep shade of scarlet, as did Shadow's eyes. The entire building began to shake as the chaos energy built up. Mecha was unable to move, the aura pinning his metal limbs to the ground like a 12-tonne boulder.

Shadow clenched his fists, glaring at the fallen robot. "Behold! The Ultimate Power! CHAOS…!" Shadow suddenly disappeared, before slamming his fist into the circuits of Mecha's exposed chest. "…BLAST!"

The result was instantaneous.

The front half of the warehouse exploded like a nuclear bomb. The walls were ripped from their foundations, before disintegrating into dust. The roof was thrown thirty feet in the air, raining back down as bits of brick, plaster and metal. Mecha's body was ripped apart, wires and circuit boards bubbling under the immense heat and pressure.

It was over in twenty seconds. Where there had once been a sturdy warehouse, there was now a charred circle of debris. In the centre stood Shadow. He breathed out a forced breath, as he re-attached his power-rings. The red glow turned back to gold, before fading. His fur and spines changed back to their usual ebony, and he collapsed to one knee. Taking a second to compose himself, Shadow pushed himself back to both feet, and then looked at the carnage around him. Suddenly a thought struck him.

Where was Rouge? Had she been caught up in the blast? He span round at the sound of someone coughing. Rushing over to a pile of rubble and splintered crates, Shadow spotted a familiar arm poking out of the rubble, waving for attention.

"Rouge! You okay?" asked Shadow anxiously bas he began shifting the rubble. In a few seconds, a bruised and dusty Rouge emerged from her makeshift bunker.

"I…I think so…" Rouge's response was cut off as Shadow's lips locked with hers. Her eyes went as wise as saucers in surprise then closed as the feel and taste of Shadow's lips took over her senses. Shadow suddenly pulled back, seemingly shocked with himself.

"Sorry…I didn't mean…I just…" A hint of crimson appeared on the black hedgehogs cheeks, a sight which made Rouge chuckle. Without saying another word, she linked arms with Shadow, and the pair began to make their way towards the open end of the structure. They were halfway out when Rouge stopped.

"What's wrong?" asked Shadow, straining to listen for any unfamiliar sounds.

"I heard something" said Rouge, her ears twitching at every sound. Then they both heard it.

Thump. Screech. Thump. Screech. Thump. Screech.

A familiar maniacal laugh erupted from the rubble behind them. Spinning round, both Shadow and Rouge gasped. The legless, one-armed torso of Mecha was slowly dragging itself towards them. His head was attached, but half of the external features had been blown off by the Chaos Blast, making him look very much like a hedgehog version of the Terminator. Mecha continued to laugh like a madman, continued to crawl closer. Shadow stepped forward, putting himself between the homicidal robot and Rouge.

When Mecha got within five feet of the Shadow, the ebony hedgehog's faced dropped, and fresh fear filled his eyes. The one eye remaining in Mecha's head no longer showed a pupil, but a number. 7. As Shadow stared, the number changed. 6. It was a countdown.

"Self destruct sequence initiated" said Mecha in his monotone robotic voice. "Have a nice day!"

5…Shadow span round and ran…

4…Grabbing Rouge by the arm…

3…He raised his hand to his forehead

2…Felt the chaos energy build up

1…"Chaos Contr…"

If the Chaos Blast had been a nuclear tipped ICBM, this was like a small asteroid striking the earth. The explosion shattered the remains of the warehouse into a billion pieces. A crater two miles wide formed, the ground being thrown up in the blast. The only debris to rain back down was fine bits of plaster and brick, everything else dissolving into ash which was blown away by the breeze.

A few seconds later, green light appeared, followed by the forms of Shadow and Rouge. Both took a step forward. Rouge collapsed first, simply crumpling up into the foetal position. Shadow fell to his knees, his vision slowly going blurry. Before he passed out, he could have sworn he saw a familiar blue shape, and someone call him 'Dude'. Then everything went black, and Shadow the Hedgehog collapsed to the ground.

WOW! WHAT A BATTLE!

_I'm shattered just reading it!! And who's the strange blue dude?_

Ah, now thats a question to be answered next time. Speaking of which, better get on with the next (and final) chapter. Hope you enjoyed this one, and hopefully we'll see you all soon. Ciao for now. Theos & _Pyro_


	10. Revenge and Revelations

**At last! Finally got the final chapter uploaded. Many apologies from myself and Pyro for the long wait.**

**_You should be, blue boy. These good people have been waiting for years!!!_**

**Bit of an exaggeration there, buddy boy...**

* * *

Chapter 10: Revenge and Revelations

When Shadow next opened his eyes, bright sunlight forced them shut again. Blinking, he waited until his eyes had adjusted to the light before looking around. No longer was he in the ruins of the warehouse. Now he found himself in a brightly lit hospital room, lying in a soft hospital bed. His left arm was in plaster, and bandages wound their way around his ribs. A patch of gauze was attached to one cheek with surgical tape, hiding (what felt like) a rather deep gash.

Slowly, Shadow forced himself to sit up, whilst trying to take in his surroundings. How had he ended up here? He tried to remember what had happened the night before. The warehouse. Mecha Shadow. Death. The Elysium Fields. Maria. Super Shadow. Chaos Blast. Mecha's self-destruction. The memories came rushing back to him, making his head swim. With his free hand, he rubbed his forehead, trying to ease the oncoming headache.

"How ya doin', buddy?" The voice from the doorway nearly made Shadow jump out of the bed. Turning quickly to the source of the voice, he found a familiar blue hedgehog leaning on the door frame, a world-famous grin spread across his face.

"What are you doing here, faker?" growled Shadow. The last thing he needed was a bright and cheery Sonic around him when he felt like he might pass out at any moment. Oblivious to any malice in the ebony hedgehog's voice, Sonic walked into the room.

"Well that's not a very nice way to greet your saviour" grinned Sonic. Shadow studied his rival's face for any sign of mockery. Finding none, Shadow's eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean, '_saviour_'?" Sonic pulled a chair up to the bed and sat down.

"It's a good job we found you when we did, man" he said, crossing his arms and leaning back in the chair. "You were in a bad way. I don't know what you went through last night, but you looked like you'd been to hell and back." A flicked of a grin crept onto Shadow's lips.

"Trust me, you have no idea" he said mystically. Sonic blinked, not quite catching the meaning of Shadow's words. Shadow shook his head, and then looked at Sonic. "So how did you find me? And who's "we"?"

"That last explosion could be heard miles away!" exclaimed Sonic, spreading his arms for effect. "I ran on ahead, and Tails and Amy followed in the Tornado. We thought it was Eggman up to no good. Never thought we'd find you two out cold." Shadow sat bolt upright. Rouge! She had been there too!

"What happened to Rouge!?" he blurted out far too quickly to be an innocent concern. Sonic instantly picked up on the genuine worry in Shadow's voice, and raised an eyebrow.

"Something going on between you two that you want to share?" asked Sonic, trying hard to suppress the giggle growing in his throat. Shadow just glared at his blue rival.

"Not that it's any of your business, faker, but no, there isn't anything going on between us" he snapped, a pale tint of crimson appearing on his cheeks. Sonic gave his trademark grin, easily seeing through the ebony hedgehog's snarling disguise.

"Fine, Shads. I'll believe you, though thousands wouldn't!" Sonic leant back in the chair and crossed his legs. The smile faded as genuine concern crept into Sonics eyes. "To be honest pal, she was pretty beat up. I don't know what that metal freak did to her, but he did a damn good job."

Suddenly, Shadow was out of bed heading towards the open door, grimacing with his good arm wrapped protectively around his broken ribs. Quick as a flash, Sonic was in his way, blocking the exit.

"Get the hell out of my way, faker" demanded Shadow, pain and rage swirling in his ruby eyes. Sonic didn't budge, his own emerald eyes attempting to out-stare his coal coloured rival.

"You're in no fit state to leave this room, Shads, and you know it" said Sonic, showing more concern for his rival than Shadow had ever heard. The effect was amazing. The once rampaging hedgehog stopped dead in his tracks, as if stuck to the spot. Sonic gently turned him round and led him back to the bed. "Rouge is in the ICU. She's not going anywhere for a while, so you can take this opportunity to get some rest and heal yourself." Shadow climbed back into bed, pulled the covers up to his chest and lay back. Sonic started for the door, before turning back. "Take care of yourself Shadow"

"Sonic…Thanks" As Sonic headed out the door, Shadow suddenly felt the weight of sleep on his eyelids. Within seconds, he was away in a restful, yet dreamless sleep.

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It was a couple of days later when Shadow finally went to visit Rouge on the Intensive Care Unit. Thanks to his Ultimate Lifeform DNA, Shadow had recovered far quicker than anyone else could have with his injuries. His ribs still ached when he stretched, but the arm was healed and he had (according to Knuckles) a "cool" scar on his head. Shadow wasn't too keen on the scar himself, but decided to ignore it.

As Shadow stepped onto the ward, a blonde haired nurse came across to him, holding a clipboard.

"Hello sir. How can I help?" she asked, a friendly smile on her face. Due to the immediate environment, Shadow found his voice had been reduced to nothing short of a whisper.

"Rouge the Bat, please" After checking her clipboard, the nurse led him down a corridor and into a side room. Shadow thanked her as she closed the door for some privacy, and then turned to look at Rouge. What he saw nearly had him on the floor in tears of fury, fury at what that walking trashcan had done to the light of his heart.

Rouge lay asleep on the bed, hooked up to an IV drip and heart monitor, which currently showed a slow but steady pulse. Her head was bandaged up, while her left arm and leg were both in plaster. Shadow picked up the hospital notes at the foot of the bed. According to the doctors, Rouge had needed 45 stitches to stem a wound at the back of her head, hence the bandages. Her left arm was fractured in no less than 7 different places, while there was concern that the damage to her leg was so severe she may never be able to walk again.

On top of that, one wing had been crushed and Mecha's self destruct had severely burnt the other. This latter injury had required an urgent skin graft to save the wing. In all, Rouge had been in theatre for over 18 hours while Shadow had been unconscious. A personal note from the doctor caught Shadow's eye. Apparently, cases this severe usually resulted in a death certificate. However, it was as if Rouge's heart refused to give up, even though her broken and battered body was willing it to do so. Rouge's willpower, the note said, may have been the only thing keeping the female bat alive before and during the operation.

Having read the notes, Shadow put them back in their holder on the foot of the bed, and looked at Rouge. The sight of her, his Rouge, hooked up to machines, wires and tubes removing and replacing fluids inside her, stirred something within him. He was suddenly aware of a drop of water running down his nose. Wiping the water away, Shadow looked up, expecting to see a leak. Seeing nothing, Shadow realised that, for only the second time in his life, he had shed tears. He, the Ultimate Lifeform, crying? Shadow shook his head, clearing the teary mists from his eyes.

"I will not let this go unpunished" he whispered, removing his golden power rings from his wrists. He could feel his anger rising, the chaos power inside him feeding from it, and in return increasing his anger, like the true symbiotic relationship his body was supposed to represent. "I will make him pay, Rouge." Pulling out his green Chaos emerald, Shadow's face broke into a fearsome snarl. "It's payback time, fat boy! CHAOS CONTROL!" In a green flash, Shadow was gone, leaving his power rings lying on the bed. A snow white hand reached over and closed around them, a weak voice barely whispering.

"Shadow…"

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"Damn, drat, blast and curses!"

Dr Eggman, stood at his 'operating' table, was in the process of slowly rebuilding the CPU to Mecha Shadow. Despite his robotic beast being defeated by Shadow, the last gasp self detonation had put the black hedgehog out of action, and Eggman hadn't heard anything from him since.

"Heh heh heh. With Shadow out of the way, Sonic is one ally down" smirked the villain, his hands busy with the tiny mechanical components. "And the loss of an ally is a huge weakness to exploit!! HA HA HA!" Looking back at his table, Eggman suddenly saw the room bask in a green glow. He turned around, only to find a gloved hand clamp around his throat. The hand extended back to a black furry arm, belonging to none other than…

"S-S-Shadow?" stuttered the doctor, sweat dripping from his forehead. Shadows eyes glowed red, a similar aura surrounding the ebony hedgehog.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't crush your windpipe and finish you off now!" snarled the hedgehog, his eyes glowing brighter as he spoke. Before Eggman could answer, Shadow released him, causing Eggman to fall to the floor. "Hmph. You're not worth killing. Not yet" said Shadow, venom in his voice that Eggman had never heard before. Shadow crouched down, bringing his face level with Eggmans. "You have thirty seconds, then this place goes sky-high" With that, Shadow's fur started to shimmer, and the red aura exploded into gold. Super Shadow stood up, and took three steps back from Eggmans prone figure. "Time's ticking, doctor."

As if someone had electrocuted him, Eggman jumped up and ran towards the nearest escape pod. He knew that there was nothing in his arsenal to take on Super Shadow. Better to run now and fight another day, he thought as he launched the pod. The rocket blasted into life, and Eggman shot skyward, aiming for the Death Egg currently in orbit around Mobius.

Looking back to Earth, Eggman saw a small golden light appear at the centre of his headquarters. The light suddenly rushed outward and upward, creating a bubble of golden light which seemed to chase the escape pod. Just when it looked as it the bubble would catch up, it all seemed to rush back on itself, as if being sucked back into the abyss. The light bubble disappeared, and Eggman instantly knew what would happen next. As he covered his ears, the explosion erupted. A gigantic ball of flame erupted and spread out, engulfing his entire hideout in a matter of seconds. As the fireball lifted, Eggman saw nothing but rubble. Standing in the centre, a perfect circle of open ground surrounding him, stood a golden figure.

"I'll have my revenge for this" hissed Eggman as the capsule docked with the Death Egg. "I'll defeat you and that irritating blue hedgehog somehow". The capsule doors slid open, and Dr Eggman was greeted by a sinister voice and two glowing yellow and green eyes shining out from the dark of the space station.

"Dr Eggmannnn" hissed the voice, a flicker of flame bobbing up and down in time to the words. "Perhapssss _we_ can be of ssssome assistance…"

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When Shadow re-appeared in the hospital ward, little had changed. He had only been gone a couple of minutes, and no one seemed to have questioned the two green flashes coming from Rouge's room.

"Shadow?"

The voice was barely a whisper, yet Shadow span round as the first syllable hit his ears. Rouge lay in the bed, a weak smile on her lips. Shadow couldn't help but smile back. Then without a word, he walked up to the bed and locked lips with Rouge. Her eyes widened with surprise at first, before they closed as she kissed back.

In the hallway, Sonic stepped back from the door, having seen what had just transpired. A huge grin spread across his face as he turned to Knuckles.

"What?" asked the crimson guardian. Sonic held his hand out, palm up.

"You owe me twenty bucks, man" chuckled Sonic. "Cough up!"

Luckily, Shadow and Rouge didn't hear the string of profanities that erupted from Knuckles as Sonic received his winnings.

* * *

**Well that's it folks! Finally finished Shadow vs Shadow. Already at work on the first part of my next one**

**_Hope you're a bit quicker with that one!_**

**You'll have to excuse me, everyone. I need to kick some fiery ass. Until next time. Remember, Read and Review please!!**


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